Category Archives: Akhtar Mengal

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan has been bleeding since 2004. Successive governments tried to stem the bleeding – but to no avail so far. Government and intelligence officials believe some foreign forces are also stoking violence in the province, where ethnic, political, sectarian and militant lines have criss-crossed to further destabilise the province.

Baloch nationalists were earlier reluctant to buy this claim. However, veteran Baloch politician Sardar Akhtar Mengal on Sunday admitted to the presence of “death squads sponsored by Pakistan’s neighbours and foreign powers”.

In an exclusive interview with The Express Tribune, Mengal also condemned the deadly violence perpetrated by Baloch separatists in the province. A medley of separatist groups – especially Balochistan Liberation Army, Baloch Republican Army and Baloch Liberation Army – have upped their insurgency ante since the killing of Jamhoori Watan Party chief Nawab Akbar Bugti in a military operation in 2006.

He acknowledged that Baloch insurgents have been targeting non-Baloch settlers, mainly those from Punjab, in Balochistan. “However, some government officials also want the settlers to flee the province and sell their properties at throw-away prices,” he added.

It is perhaps the first time that Mengal has openly condemned the activities of Baloch insurgents — not easy to do since his younger brother Javed Mengal and two of his nephews – Nooruddin Mengal and Bhawal Mengal – are also allegedly involved in insurgency.

For his part, Sardar Akhtar Mengal – the head of his own faction of Balochistan National Party (BNP-M) – said his party has from the beginning renounced violence as a means to achieve political and economic rights of the Baloch people.

Mengal spoke about his predicament. “The Baloch militants consider me a traitor while the security establishment also treats me as an enemy,” he said. “I’m being targeted by both.”

Asked if he was willing to mediate between the insurgents and the government, Mengal said: “Both [Baloch insurgents and security establishment] speak through the barrel of the gun. They cannot understand my language.”

Instead Mengal reiterated that the six-point formula he had spelt out before the May 11 elections to stabilise the situation in Balochistan was still workable. “My six-point formula is within the parameters of the Constitution,” he said. “We are willing for a debate with anyone who thinks my six points are against the interest of Pakistan.”

Mengal also strongly criticised the security establishment for targeting ‘Baloch political workers’. He alleged that ‘death squads’ backed by intelligence agencies were eliminating critics of the establishment’s policies. “They [death squads] are killing and kidnapping people because they have been given a licence by the establishment to operate against anyone,” he added.

Asked by bloodshed perpetrated by Baloch insurgents, he said: “State agencies should not behave like militants. There should be a difference between the conduct of the state and of militants.”

Mengal’s party fared badly in the May 11 elections which he claimed were massively rigged. “The elections were rigged by the establishment to stop my party from coming to power,” he alleged.

Mengal, who is in the federal capital, is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif besides attending a book launch. He is confident that Nawaz can resolve the Balochistan issue.

“I had detailed discussions with Mian Sahib on all important issues after the general elections. “Mian Sahib assured me that he would do all he could to steer Balochistan out of crisis,” said Mengal. “I will try to meet him on his return from China.”

Balochistan is considered to be a neglected province where a majority of population lacks basic amenities, but the ruling elite of the province has an entirely different story.

Many members of the club have pieces of land greater in size than some small towns of the country, using precious vehicles rarely seen even in big cities and having more glamorous lifestyle than even royal families of the Arab world.

According to a statement of assets and liabilities submitted to the Election Commission for 2010-2011, Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Muhammad Aslam Khan Raisani uses a luxury sport utility vehicle (Hummer H2) gifted by an unnamed friend from United Arab Emirates (UAE) and a Harley Davidson motorcycle brought to Pakistan after a waiver on customs duty. The price of Hummer and motorcycle has been cited as Rs180 million and Rs3.2 million, respectively. He has two other vehicles, including a land cruiser.

He owns a safety and security firm and a mining company with a capital investment of Rs106.5 million. He also owns over 30 properties valued at Rs150 million in his own and wife’s name.

The Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs, Mir Zafar Ullah Khan, owns 24,338 acres of land, most of which he has inherited and is yet to be distributed. He has Rs51 million in two bank accounts and owns Rs20.7 million house.

The Minister for Building, Agha Irfan Karim, owns four properties, including a farm house, 150 acres of agricultural land and a house in Quetta, but has not mentioned the price, just writing “not evaluated” in the remarks column against the detail of immovable property.

He owns two diamond-studded Rolex wrist watches, two more with gold and silver, 10 diamond-studded cufflinks and 200 tola of gold.

Pir Abdul Qadir Algilani owns 3,200 acres of land in Kalat and Lasbella, and an under-construction farm in Lasbella on 400 acres. His other properties include a two-acre hut in Gaddani. The Pir also has Rs33 million. He has mentioned investment in stocks, too, in his statement.

His other properties include two coal mines, three manganese mines, one cooper mine and one iron ore mine in his own and his wife’s name.

Pir Abdul Qadir has 300 guns issued by the Ordnance depot of the GHQ as his mother’s inheritance from Khan of Kalat, her father. He also owns antiques and gems of unspecified quantity and value.

The Minister for Fisheries, Mir Hammal Kalmati, owns assets worth Rs238 million. He owns seven properties worth Rs238 million and has over Rs28 million in bank accounts.

However, in contrast to most of the cabinet members in Balochistan, the Minister for Higher and Technical Education, Tahir Mehmood Khan, has assets of Rs86.5 million in Quetta. He has jewellery valued at Rs1.5 million and Rs63,600 in two bank
accounts.

Jan Ali Changezi has no immovable property in or outside Pakistan. The total worth of assets, including furniture, jewellery and cash in hand and bank, comes to Rs1.6 million.

Muhammad Ismael Gujjar owns property worth Rs19.65 million. He has not mentioned the value of a dairy farm, eight commercial vehicles and two unspecified Pakistan-made cars of 2011 models and one Japan-made car of 2007 model. He has around Rs400,000 in two bank accounts.

The total worth of Mohammad Younas Mullazai’s assets, including a house and a commercial plot, is Rs5.5 million. He too owns no car.

Ali Madad Jattak has put at Rs7.3 million the value of his house and 18,000 sq feet land he had purchased after selling livestock — 48 camels, 23 cows and buffalos and 525 goats and sheep valued at Rs15.34 million. He has Rs0.5 million in cash and owns no
car.

Ainullah Shams owns a house, agricultural land and open plots worth Rs 12.6 million, but has no bank account and owns no car.

The most valuable thing under possession of Molvi Abdul Samad is his car worth Rs350,000 followed by the share in a house mentioned as Rs50,000. He has put the value of furniture in his use at Rs200,00 and holds the same amount in cash as well. He has Rs3,800 in his bank account.

Syed Matiullah Agha has Rs9.1 million in his bank accounts. He has put the value of his four properties, including agricultural land and plots, at Rs4.5 million. He has an automobile engineering business in Karachi and owns a shop in his v

illage. He also does not owna car.

Asfandyar Khan Kakar has an open plot in Pishin he purchased in an unspecified year for Rs2.8 million, with a present market value of Rs7 million. He has Rs575,315 in two bank accounts, but has no car.